Grayson: I tricked Oyston

Simon Grayson has offered Lee Clark advice on how to deal with Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston – trick him into thinking he’s won.

Preston North End manager Grayson enjoyed a productive relationship with Oyston during his three years as manager at Bloomfield Road before leaving for Leeds in 2008.

Grayson says his time working for Oyston helped his managerial career, and revealed how he managed to hoodwink the chairman.

“If I wanted two things I asked him for 10, because I knew he’d think he’d won the battle for the other eight,” explained Grayson.

“My time at Blackpool gave me the grounding straight away in my managerial career.

“And then from Karl it was on to Ken Bates (then Leeds chairman), who is probably one of the most controversial chairmen to have graced English football.

“There was never a dull moment working with him and Karl but you deal with it. I do think working for them at such a young age stood me in good stead – because working for anyone else is going to be easy!

“I was thrown in the deep end with Karl, but I did have a bit of an advantage because I was there playing and looking after the reserves at the time.

“So I got to know him and work out a little bit how he worked. I built up a relationship with him because you have to have a relationship with your chairman, no matter who it is.

“They might be different characters but you have to try to work them out.”